Flame Licker Toy

[Doug Kimball]

I picked up a toy flame licker engine a week ago & can't seem to find much information on it. Flywheels are 3 1/2" diameter. There is a patent date cast in base of Nov 20 19?? I can't read the last two digits. Next to last may be a 0 or 6. One guy thought it might be an Arcade in the 1960's.
It appears to be complete & I'd like to run it. Propane? Natural gas? or did it run on producer gas? Acetylene? What would I need for a regulator to run it on propane?

[Ronald E. McClellan]

Doug; Your engine is a Paradox. It was made to run on illuminating gas. It is a three cycle engine , the first 1/3 rd of the stroke is the intake then the piston opens the touch hole to fire for the power stroke 2 nd 2/3 rds , then the exhaust stroke They can be run best on a special gas mix of 60% hydrogen , 30%methane , 10%carbon monxide. There is a great video on Utube. Also do a forum search here. Ron

[Ronald E. McClellan]

Here is the Utube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gryag...eature=related

[AndyG]

was this type of ignition ever used on a "real" engine?

[Ronald E. McClellan]

The closest that I can think of is the Otto and Crossley four cycle engines with slide valve flame ignation where the slide valve carried the flame into the combustion chamber. Ron

[Danny J]

Yes that is a paradox engine. Someplace I have a copy of the patent information for them, am in the proccess of moving so I am not sure where the papers are. But I found these pics on the internet. The patent date looks to be around 1900 on these pics, or at least to my tired monitor and eyes.

I have seen them run on acetylene gas before with good results.

Don't let anyone try to sucker you out of it, the last one I watched sell brought over $500, and that was 6 or 7 years ago!

[Oostvogels]

Hello Dough,

We had a threat on the paradox engine on Harry's old gas engine forum.http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showth...hlight=paradox
Ours ran once in Nuenen someone brought the right mixture of gas and we brought our engine.
I had been looking for a toy stationary engine for 25 years and then found 2 in 1 week.
This paradox is the smallest, the other toy was a kogel & fugs.

Friendly regards Jeanne
www.2oostvogels.nl

[Mike O]

Hey Doug, The Paradox also comes in a tank cooled version. There are not to many out there I do have one, I also just got this 4 cycle sideshaft english version called the "LEEK" engine made by th British Engineering & Eletrical Co. in the area of Leek UK. they started around 1882 and made these engines as kits and were making them until around the 1905 time frame. Mike

[Mike O]

Here are pictures of my "tank cooled" Paradox

[Ronald E. McClellan]

Mike; What you have here is a Schoenner engine made in Germany. It's not 4 cycle (note the 1:1 gears for the side shaft). It works about the same as the paradox but much more complicated like other German toys. Schoenner made 2 different size sideshaft and one push rod engines. Youtrs is missing one flywheel. Ron

[Mike O]

I hope this letter comes through ledgable, I am aware of the german engines you talk about however this one is a LEEK made in the UK. If you happen to have the english engines A to Z you will find a lot more about there engines thhere also. That is the british version of our BYB, You will also note on my engine there is a mecanical intake and exhost valve. They also talk about it being improved to run on the "OTTO" cycle today known as 4 cycle. I am wondering if in fact I am missing a flywheel, as most english engines do only have 1. In the different books I have looked up it does seem that all the pictures show 2 but they are also 6 spoke and my engine is 8 spokes? and there is NO room on the other side of the crank to mount a 2nd and to me it looks like it has always been that way. MIke

[Ronald E. McClellan]

Mike; I have the book and have seen the picture. I am sure that the picture is wrong. I wonder if some of our English friends could chime in here with a picture of the 1/12 HP engine. The picture that I sent is an 8 spoke F.W. That is a Schoenner engine and would not develop 1/12 HP. It can not be 4 cycle because of the 1 : 1 gear ratio for the side shaft. Ron